CARIOQA-PMP

CARIOQA Consortium to present latest results at EGU 2026 in Vienna

julian — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:00:52 +0000

Members of the CARIOQA consortium will take part in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026, held in Vienna from 3 to 8 May, where they will present recent progress and research results related to quantum sensing and its applications in Earth observation.

As one of the leading international conferences in the geosciences, the EGU General Assembly offers a key platform for scientific exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue. CARIOQA partners will contribute through several presentations showcasing advances in quantum technologies for space applications and future satellite gravity missions.

Among the confirmed contributions:

CARIOQA Pathfinder Mission: Accelerometer Applications
Manuel Schilling, Liliane Biskupek, Matthias Weigelt, Stefanie Bremer, and Andreas Leipner
Monday 4 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST)
CARIOQA Phase B – The Next Step on the European Path to Quantum Sensors in Space
Liliane Biskupek and the CARIOQA Consortium
Thursday 7 May, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)
Benefit of Cold Atom Interferometry Inertial Sensors for Future Satellite Gravity Missions
Annike Knabe, Alireza Hosseini Arani, Nina Fletling, Quentin Beaufils, Arpetha Chikkamavathur Sreekantaiah, Franck Pereira dos Santos, Jürgen Müller, and Steffen Schön
Thursday 7 May, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)

If you are attending EGU 2026, we warmly invite you to join these sessions and engage with CARIOQA partners on site.

CARIOQA showcased at the “Night of Quantum” event in Toulouse

julian — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:01:32 +0000

CARIOQA was proudly represented during the Night of Quantum (“Nuit du Quantique”), an event organised by the French Physical Society (SFP) across France.

As part of this initiative, Célia Pelluet (CNES) and member of the CARIOQA consortium delivered a conference at Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, focusing on the role of quantum sensors in space applications. Her talk highlighted the technological advances and promising perspectives of quantum sensing for future space missions, as well as CARIOQA’s contributions to this evolving field.

The event attracted strong public interest, with around 280 registered participants attending to explore a rich programme of hands-on experiments and engaging talks centred on quantum science and technologies.

Discover the 2nd CARIOQA-PMP Webinar

julian — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:34:54 +0000

The second CARIOQA-PMP webinar, titled “Quantum Sensors: From Ground to Space,” was successfully conducted on March 19, 2026, in a hybrid format that seamlessly combined in-person participation at TUM with virtual attendance via Zoom, enabling broad engagement from both on-site and remote audiences.

In this webinar we explored the rapidly evolving field of quantum accelerometers for space applications, highlighting their potential in Earth observation and fundamental physics.

The current state of the art was reviewed, including the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) on the International Space Station (ISS), which studies ultra-cold quantum gases in microgravity. Despite this progress, space-qualified quantum accelerometers remain in early development.

Key instrument components were discussed, such as cold atom sources, laser systems, microwave fields, vacuum chambers, and ultra-stable electronics—all requiring adaptation for space conditions.

Compared to ground-based systems, space-based sensors must operate autonomously in microgravity. Major challenges include increasing atom flux, compensating for satellite motion, and ensuring robustness. A critical trade-off exists between instrument sensitivity and cost. Environmental disturbances—radiation, temperature variations, and vibrations—pose additional risks, requiring mitigation strategies like shielding and thermal control.

Finally, the importance of dedicated satellite platforms and microgravity test environments (e.g., drop towers, aircraft, sounding rockets, and the ISS) was emphasized, along with the need to translate laboratory experiments into reliable space systems.

CARIOQA-PMP extends its warm thanks to Naceur Gaaloul (LUH), Stephan Seidel (AIRBUS) and Lisa Wörner (DLR), who served as expert panelists, and to Thomas Lévêque (CNES) for moderating the discussion.

The CARIOQA-PMP project held its 2026 General Assembly in Munich

julian — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:29:36 +0000

The CARIOQA PMP General Assembly took place on 19–20 March 2026 at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), bringing together technical, research and industry partners from across Europe – CNES, DLR, Leibniz University, DTU National Space Institute, SYRTE, LP2N, ONERA, LCAR, POLIMI, Airbus, EXAIL, LEONARDO, Teletel, FORTH/PRAXI, and GAC.

Over the two days, participants reviewed progress across work packages and discussed mission scenarios, subsystem developments, dissemination strategies, legal and financial aspects, and upcoming implementation phases. Simon Conticello, the CARIOQA Mission Project Officer from the European Commission’s HaDEA, was also present; a strong signal of the European Commission’s support for the CARIOQA mission and its commitment to accompanying the consortium through the critical phases of its implementation.

During the meeting, a second webinar entitled “Quantum Sensors: From Ground to Space” explored pathways for translating advanced laboratory quantum sensing technologies into deployable instruments for future Earth observation and space-based gravimetry missions. Chaired by Thomas Lévêque (CNES), the webinar featured a discussion between Naceur Gaaloul (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany), whose work in ultracold-atom quantum engineering supports high-precision inertial sensing for next-generation space gravimetry; Stephan Seidel (Airbus), who contributed industrial expertise on system-level integration and the transition of quantum sensor concepts into space-qualified technologies; and Lisa Wörner, member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Board (STAB), who brings extensive expertise in quantum technologies for space, including leadership roles in the BECCAL cold-atom laboratory project for the ISS and at DLR’s Institute for Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing in Hannover.

A recording of the webinar will be available shortly on the project website. Stay tuned!

GAC Group visits Thales Alenia Space to highlight CARIOQA-PHB

julian — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:00:31 +0000

Last Thursday, the team responsible for the communication and dissemination activities of the CARIOQA-PHB project visited Thales Alenia Space, responsible for the project’s industrial activities.

During the visit to Thales Alenia Space’s facilities in Cannes, France, interviews were filmed with Thierry Jeannet, Program Manager for CARIOQA , and Yvan Baillion, Director of Programmes Portfolio & Future Business. The interviews aim to present the Phase B of the CARIOQA mission and provide further insight into the next stages of its development.

Thales Alenia Space and GAC Group teams after the interview

The visit also gave the GAC team the opportunity to discover the Thales Alenia Space site and tour the clean room facilities, where satellites are assembled. It is in this highly specialised environment that the CARIOQA satellite is expected to be built.

The project presentation video will be released soon on the CARIOQA YouTube channel.

CARIOQA partners meet in Toulouse to conduct a functional analysis of the ground system

julian — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:00:15 +0000

The Workshop on the Functional Analysis of the Ground Segment, held at CNES in Toulouse in mid-February, gathered around 30 participants from CNES, DLR, TAS, GMV, LUH, TUM, and LTE as part of the preparation for the CARIOQA mission.

The workshop’s primary objective was to advance the functional analysis of the ground segment, encompassing both the control ground segment and the mission ground segment. This process aims to identify user needs and operational constraints to determine how the mission will be managed from the ground. Such analysis is crucial for programming the CARIOQA instrument, supervising measurement sessions, retrieving and processing scientific data, and continuously refining future observation planning.

During the discussions, participants collaboratively clarified operational requirements and the interactions between the ground and space segments. A key outcome of the workshop was the recognition that the scientific mission scenario serves as a central input for the functional analysis, while ground-to-space communication links are critical for mission operations.

Beyond the technical discussions, the workshop also underscored the strong ambition of the partners involved in CARIOQA and the excellent collaborative spirit among the participating organizations.

Reminder : CARIOQA-PMP expert talks webinar #2

julian — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:41:26 +0000

Only a few days remain to register for the CARIOQA-PMP Expert Talks Webinar #2, “Quantum Sensors: From Ground to Space”, taking place online on 19 March 2026 at 16:30 CET (Zoom).

The session will bring together three experts to discuss the latest advances, challenges, and opportunities for quantum sensors in space and gravity missions, followed by a panel discussion and live Q&A.

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/carioqa-pmp-expert-talks-webinar-2-quantum-sensors-from-ground-to-space-tickets-1980862534163?aff=oddtdtcreator

Registered participants will receive the Zoom link before the event.

Discover the science of geodesy and how the CARIOQA mission is set to advance this field

julian — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:54 +0000

In this interview, Jürgen Müller from Leibniz University Hannover introduces the science of geodesy and explains how the CARIOQA mission aims to push the boundaries of the field.

Watch the video below to learn more !

Meet the expert : Nina Fletling

julian — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:00:45 +0000

In the frame of CARIOQA-PMP, Nina contributes her expertise to the development of tools and performance of simulation studies. Concerning the CARIOQA Pathfinder Mission, she is investigating the benefit of the CAI sensor for the determination of the Earth’s gravity field. Furthermore, Nina is simulating Post-Pathfinder Quantum Space Gravimetry missions, which exploit the advantages of the quantum accelerometer to meet the scientific user needs.

Learn more about Nina

CNES welcomes HaDEA Director in the framework of EU space project meetings

julian — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:00:18 +0000

CNES welcomed Marina Zanchi, Director of HaDEA, on 29 January as part of a series of meetings with representatives of several organisations participating in EU-funded projects in the space sector, including CARIOQA.

The visit provided an opportunity to present CNES and to give a comprehensive overview of the CARIOQA project, its objectives and its current development status. Discussions focused on the mission’s technical progress and upcoming milestones.

A key highlight of the programme was a tour of the laboratory where the CARIOQA-PMP Engineering Model (EM) is currently being integrated, offering a first-hand view of the work carried out by the teams.

Marina Zanchi was accompanied by Simon Conticello, CARIOQA Programme Officer at HaDEA.

The delegation was received by Caroline Laurent, Director of Orbital Systems and Applications at CNES, and Christine Fallet, Project Coordinator of the CARIOQA PMP, PHA and PHB projects.

The visit provided an opportunity for constructive exchanges and reaffirmed the strong cooperation between CNES and HaDEA in advancing EU-funded space initiatives such as CARIOQA.